Recently, display apparatuses such as a TV capable of displaying a three-dimensional image (3D image), video cameras and still cameras capable of recording three-dimensional images (3D images), and the like have been developed and utilized. The 3D image is obtained by performing a displaying process using images photographed from different viewing points, that is, a left-eye image and a right-eye image. Therefore, in the case of recording the 3D image on a medium, a set of the left-eye image and the right-eye image needs to be recorded, and during a playing process, playing is performed using a set of the images.
With respect to a coding method performed during recording or transmitting of 3D image data, there are various methods. For example, representative methods are known as follows:
a frame sequential method,
a side-by-side method, and
a top-and-bottom method.
The frame sequential method is a coding method where frames of left-eye images (L images) and frames of right-eye images (R images) are alternately recorded and transmitted as L, R, L, R, and so on.
The side-by-side method is a coding method where the L and R images are divided into left and right portions of a 1-frame image to be recorded and transmitted.
The top-and-bottom method is a coding method where the L and R images are divided into upper and lower portions of a 1-frame image to be recorded and transmitted.
Currently, various methods have been mixedly used. For example, 3D content transmitted by a broadcasting station dedicated to television broadcasting are processed according to the side-by-side method. In addition, a recording method of a video camera is the frame sequential method. In the current situation where various methods are mixedly used, for example, in the case of recording data in a recording/playing apparatus, information for determining methods or control information or attribute information corresponding to each method needs to be recorded. In addition, during the playing, each method needs to be determined, and playing needs to be performed by using control information or attribute information according to each method. However, some of currently-used video recording or playing standards for a medium have problems in that a recording area for control information or attribute information of the various 3D image methods is not set.
For example, as a video recording/playing application standard (format), there is a BDMV or BDAV standard (format). This application standard is regulated as a data recording/playing application standard mainly using BD (Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark)). The BD standard is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-158972) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-179671). Although the BDMV or BDAV standard is a data recording/playing application standard mainly using BD, the standard is not limited to the BD, but it may be adapted to data recording/playing using a flash memory or other media rather than the BD.
The BDMV standard is an application standard which is developed to be dedicated to a BD-ROM where, for example, movie content or the like are recorded in advance and is widely used for a non-rewritable BD-ROM for mainly package content or the like. The BDMV has a feature in that a navigator command or BD-J as a program controlling playing according to user's manipulation is stored in the disc, so that various interactive functions can be provided according to content maker's intention. In addition, the BDMV has a feature in that recording/playing can be performed by using a menu screen configured with graphics and buttons.
As described above, the BDMV standard is an application standard which is dedicated to a BD-ROM where mainly movie content or the like are recorded in advance, and in specifications thereof, various control information or attribute information unique to content can be recorded so that content can be recorded and played according to content maker's intention. The control information or attribute information necessary for recording and playing the 3D image can be recorded according to the BDMV standard, and discs adapted to the BDMV standard on which 3D content is recorded have already been provided to users.
Note that, on December, 2009, the BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association) announced final decision of the specification of Blu-ray 3D with respect to a 3D image recording/playing method adapted to the BD, so that environments of allowing consumers to experience and enjoy 3D content at home are regulated well. The specification is disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 [http://www.blu-raydisc.com/jp/Press/PressRelease.html]. The specification relates to an extended BDMV standard capable of storing 3D content in the BD-ROM as a read-only medium and is regulated as “BD-ROM Part3 ver2.4”.
On the other hand, the BDAV is a standard developed for the purpose of being applied to a data recording/playing process using mainly a rewritable BD-RE disc, one-time recordable BD-R disc, or the like. The BDAV standard is used when a user records or plays, for example, video photographed by a video camera or the like on the BD-RE disc or the BD-R disc. Otherwise, the BDAV standard is used for recording or playing television broadcasting content in a video recorder or the like. However, since the BDAV standard is contrived so as for a user to easily record data, the BDAV standard has a feature in that the standard is not appropriate for complicated control information recording and playing. For example, in comparison with the BDMV, the BDAV standard has a feature in that an interactive function or a function of implementing various control for content recording/playing is not good.
As described above, although the BD-ROM-dedicated BDMV standard can be used for recording and playing a 3D image, in the currently-used BDAV standard, a recording area for information necessary for recording and playing 3D image content is not regulated. In addition, in BD-RE Part3 ver3.x called the BDMV standard which is not used for a BD-ROM and which is a data recording/playing application standard using a rewritable recording medium or one-time recordable recording medium, similarly to the BDAV standard, a recording area for information necessary for recording and playing 3D image content is not regulated.
Therefore, although 3D image data photographed by a camera which can photographs 3D images are recorded according to the BDAV standard, data necessary for playing the 3D image are lost, so that the 3D image may not be played. Similarly, although 3D image content received on a broadcast wave are recorded by a BD recorder or the like according to the BDAV standard, there is a problem in that, data necessary for playing the 3D image are lost, so that the 3D image may not be played.